A Message for Breaking Terrorism Back

A Message for Breaking Terrorism Back

Dr. Shahab Esfandiyari

A Review of the Islamic Revolution Leader's Message to North American and European Youth

The message of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran to the North American and European youth was followed by many reactions and feedbacks in media and academic circles. For example, Foreign Policy described it "unexpected" and wrote in his report, "through an unusual letter, [Ayatollah] Khamenei has asked North American and European youth to understand and identify Islam before condemning it." Perhaps, the most important aspect of the letter is its inclination to call for people, especially the youth, to "ponder" and "dialogue" about the world's status quo and to gain a correct understanding of the Islam. Dr. Shahab Esfandiary, faculty member of University of Arts, has analyzed further aspects of the message through the following article.

Fake illustration of Muslims

Four years after 9/11 terrorist attacks, four suicidal explosions were committed in several parts of London on July 7, 2005. It left behind 52 dead and more 107 wounded. London Police Department introduced Muhammad Sadiq Khan as the designer and suicidal bomber of this operation; he was born in Leeds to a parent who has migrated to Britain several decades ago. When his confessional footage about his incentives to do this was broadcasted by Aljazeera TV, more than content of his harsh language against the western governments his accent was surprising for people of Britain. He used to speak with the Yorkshire accent and if his face was not obvious in TV one may confuse him with an aboriginal Englishman. There was a difference between this terrorist and the usual model by which "Arab/Muslim terrorists" were shown in both western verbal and visual narratives about people who used to come out of borders of these western countries to commit terrorist operations. He was not a foreigner, but he was an insider. He was not "other" but was a "relative". Finally the British Police found a new explanation for this phenomenon through pointing to his travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan and participation in Al-Qaeda military forts: Radicalization.

From that date downward, any speech that make invoke people to commit terrorist operations was become a new crime, called incitement. Keeping books, pamphlets and tapes containing such materials would be punished under the similar crime.

One of the most controversial bills endorsed by the British government was a bill that allowed police force to keep in detainment any suspected one for ninety days without any certain proof and evidences. Opposition parties and most scholars and academicians called this bill misusing the psychological atmosphere developed after bombings in order to limit the public freedoms. One of popular and well-established newspapers of London published a heart-breaking picture of a man who has been wounded during the contests between police and protestors and wrote in its front page: "Tell Tony he is alright." The day after that, the man whose picture had been published by papers wrote a letter and condemned misusing his picture to support the bill so called "anti-terrorism" bill. This man was Professor John Tullouch, the professor of media studies of Brunel University of London. He, like most European academicians, was among the opponents of Iraq War and contribution of Blair administration in that war. In the disaster day, he was sitting near Muhammad Sadiq Khan in a subway station and only a briefcase saved him from severe damages to his chest or even his death. However, he had lost his ability to hear and speak for a long time after that. But, all of these pains and wounds did not change his opinion about the propaganda project of "war on terror". Several months after regaining his physical ability, interviewed with BBC. In answer to a question that "are you angry for being the victim of a terrorist attack?" he answered, "I am angry, but I am angry for the autonomous and illegal measures of governments who flame the fire of such violence."

Professor Tullouch was invited by Britain's ATV in the anniversary of the attack and asked him to go personally, as a reporter, to the house in which Muhammad Sadiq Khan used to live in already and to make a three-minute documentary film for the main part of nighttime news of the network. John Tullouch became familiar with another face of Muhammad Sadiq Khan. He found that Muhammad Sadiq Khan has used to work as a teacher assistant at a school in a poor and deprived neighborhood in Leeds. His colleagues described him as a hard-working and kind man who helped weaker children in training. More investigations and inquiries from the city council indicated that Muhammad Sadiq khan had been very active in fighting against social damages and abnormalities. John Tullouch chose a photo of Muhammad Sadiq Khan as the symbol of this unknown aspect of his personality; the photo showed him in the school with a thinking face and pen in his hand while listening to a student.

In this very short program, Tullouch talked with several Muslim students who all have been raised in Britain and were neighbors of Muhammad Sadiq Khan and let them to say their words. Their main concerns and worries were being forgetting the real meaning of Islam in the British society and wrong mentalities and imaginations about Islam. It forced them to be marginalized in the British society. In fact, in this TV program, professor Tullouch introduced "reaction" to warmongerings made by western governments across the world as the main cause of such terrorist behaviors; while western media and policy-makers call terrorism as an affirmative action based on a certain culture, a religion or an ideology which aims at undermining the western civilization.

After a while professor Tullouch published his book, One day in July which included his memoirs and analyses about the bombing and its aftermath. He finishes his book with a letter, "a letter to Muhammad Sadiq Khan". In this letter, addressing Muhammad Sadiq Khan he writes, "I am encountered with several faces of yours, not a single face. I know you were a good listener. I want to speak to you and perhaps thousands other Muhammad Sadiq Khans who have not yet deserved to be talked with." In this letter we find John Tulouch as a thinker and scholar who have let the traditional position of Europeans when they speak with others and emphasizes the correct understanding of the another party.

For the author, Professor Tulloucj and his co-thinkers must be considered as a part of "conversation axis" of the contemporary world which stands against the "terrorism axis". Unfortunately, because of the media domination of "terrorism axis", the voice of "conversation axis" is not reflected properly in the western societies. The "terrorism axis" domination is so strong that despite the unprecedented and eye-catching rally of 1.5 million people in London on 2003 against the contribution of British government in war against Iraq, Tony Blair, Bush's war-mongering partner, was re-elected as the prime minister in the next election. If Tulouch and his friends constitute the western wing of the "conversation axis" in the contemporary world, this axis has serious supporters in the Muslim World. The Message of Ayatollah Khamenei to European and Northern American youth unveiled another side of this axis in the part of the world. While the media, which are supported by the "terrorism axis", have tried their best to indicate the violent and fake image of Islam though misusing the recent accidents of Paris and fuelling the fire of grudges and deepening gaps, at once one of the greatest religious and political leaders of the Muslim World writes directly a letter to European and North American youth and calls them to start study and identify Islam directly. There are various points in this points which are discussed her briefly.

Bypassing stereotypical images of west

Firstly, the nature of deciding to outreach, apart from the content of letter, is a symbolic action. There is a sort of acknowledgement in any speech which speaks to others respectfully. Hence, it is said that worst insult is ignoring or denying the presence of others. Perhaps most Muslims and even some Muslim thinkers have dark mentalities about western youth and consider them sinking in corruption and sins. In other words, as we have westerners, we have westophobists as well in the Muslim societies who have certain stereotypes and imaginations about the western societies, as a whole. However the critical approach of Ayatollah Khamenei's letter to western societies is not none-dimensional. Before inviting western youth to cross the pre-judgments and false imaginations, he ignores some stereotypical images about western youth. For him, western youth are more truth-seeker than their grown-ups.

Conversation axis against terrorism axis

The second of the letters is that it has been written by a man who is qualified to be considered in the "conversation axis" against the "terrorism axis" regarding his legal and real entity and character, because he is a victim of terrorism too, he is the victim of terrorists who have been later supported by the France government who claims fighting against terrorism. Rather converting his physical pains to racist grudges against all western people, he considers western youth separated from their terrorist supporting governments and is worry about the future interaction between west and Islam. On the other hand, as a legal entity, Ayatollah Khamenei has led a great country for more 25 years and has proved that he is not warmonger. Despite several wars occurred within three recent decades in the turbulent region of Middle East, he has protected Iran.

Inviting to correct understanding

The third point of this message is that its author is a great religious leader, it content does not ask the reader to convert their religion, but ask them to understand the Islam rightly. Mutual understanding without doubt can pave the way for peaceful interaction between world's people and prevent warmongers of terrorism axis to reach their ominous targets. Ayatollah Khamenei says, "I do not insist you to accept my or any other account of Islam." It is obvious that whenever the heavy and dark curtains of falsity and fraud by media of "terrorism axis" on the Islam face, then basically there will be no chance to invite people to Islam. The first step, according to him, is correct understanding and without prejudgment;

The addressee of letter is the future builder generation rather statesmen

The fourth point of the message which differentiates it from the highfalutin but empty slogans of some past politicians and statesmen is its receiver or addressee. Already, some politicians who did not know the difference between "negotiation" and "dialogue" used to confuse the international political space (which is the area of war of smiles and struggle on national interests) with the intellectual dialogues about civilizations and cultures and intended to start cultural-civilizational dialogue with the oppressive armed enemy. However, Ayatollah Khamenei chooses his letter's receiver youth rather western statesmen and politicians. Using this approach to communicate intellectually and culturally with youth is not new, but it backs to hi revolutionary efforts before Islamic Revolution.

Precise familiarity with the modern media

One last point about the media and the so-called "medium" is promoting the message. The decision to promote the letter and its message through social networks rather TV and radio channels indicates how much he is acquainted with the new media and their capabilities and capacities. Todays, social networks have challenged the hegemony of written media and old audio-video media (which are controlled by the masters of "terrorism axis"). Choosing this "medium" for promoting a message whose content is about calling for people to cross the hegemony of stereotypes is very good and smart idea. Although most social networks are run by masters of "terrorism axis" and these media have already made cooperation with warmongering governments, they cannot be fully controlled by their owners because there are too many users and contents there which make control very difficult. Because of influence of these social networks, we see that even old media have forced to reflect the letter.

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